Curiosity to get rolling in a few days

The rover Curiosity survived a digital ‘brain transplant’ this weekend and is now preparing to take its first steps on the Red Planet, Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists said Tuesday.

“It came off pretty much without a hitch,” said Mission Manager Mike Watkins. “We’re ready to proceed forward with the next stage.”

The rover is scheduled to stretch its wheels and robotic arm in five or six days, said Watkins. It will drive forward in an area that JPL has already viewed through one of the rover’s cameras, while also practicing some small turns, he said.

Everyone at JPL is “itching to move at this point,” said Ashwin Vasavada, the mission’s deputy project scientist.

Curiosity’s first stroll on Mars will be short; about 1 or 2 meters.

This week, engineers will also continue checking out the rover’s scientific instruments, including the ChemCam which packs a high-tech laser to analyze rock particles.

Curiosity landed on Mars Aug. 5 in the middle of the Gale Crater. The rover is parked only 8 kilometers away from a spot JPL predicts will be a scientific treasure trove, said Vasavada.

JPL also expects some impressive high-resolution images to arrive once Curiosity begins its path to Mount Sharp, a 3.4-mile high mountain in the middle of the crater.

“It is going to be the most spectacular terrain you’ve seen from the surface of Mars,” said Vasavada.

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-- Tiffany Kelly, Times Community News

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